UK Rights Group Backs Mauritius Push for Same-Sex Civil Marriage

A prominent UK-based human rights organisation has thrown its weight behind Mauritius's LGBT+ advocacy community in its campaign to legalise same-sex civil marriage on the island. The Peter Tatchell Foundation (PTF) — founded by veteran British LGBT+ rights activist Peter Tatchell — has announced its official support for OUT Moris, Mauritius's leading LGBT+ rights organisation, as well as other local groups and activists pushing for legal recognition of same-sex couples. **What triggered the move?** The PTF's backing follows a significant, if underreported, finding by the National Human Rights Commission of Mauritius (NHRC), the country's independent body tasked with monitoring and promoting human rights. The NHRC recently concluded that Mauritian law contains **no explicit prohibition** on the registration of same-sex marriages. Crucially, the Commission warned that the Civil Status Office's (Bureau de l'état civil) refusal to register such unions could itself constitute discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation — a finding that gives legal advocates fresh ground to stand on. Human rights defenders are now calling on the Mauritian government to act on this finding by formally recognising same-sex couples under civil law and guaranteeing equal civil rights for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation. **A Mauritian voice from abroad** Pliny Soocoormanee, Executive Officer of the Peter Tatchell Foundation and a Mauritian national living in England, has spoken out personally on the issue. He entered into a civil union with his partner, Jayraj Juggessur, in the United Kingdom last year. "LGBT+ people are not asking for special rights. We are simply asking for equal rights," Soocoormanee said. "Why should a couple have fewer rights than another simply because both partners are of the same sex?" His dual identity — as both a Mauritian citizen and an advocate working within a major international human rights organisation — gives the campaign added resonance and international visibility. **What this means** Mauritius does not currently recognise same-sex unions in any legal form. While homosexuality was decriminalised following a landmark court ruling in 2023, marriage and civil partnership rights have not followed. The NHRC's finding does not change the law automatically, but it creates a compelling argument that the government's inaction may already be in breach of existing anti-discrimination principles. For LGBT+ Mauritians, recognition would have practical consequences: rights around inheritance, hospital visitation, joint property ownership, and tax status, among others, that are currently unavailable to same-sex couples. The campaign is likely to face significant political and social resistance in Mauritius, where conservative religious and cultural attitudes remain influential. However, with an international body now formally aligned with local advocates, pressure on the government is set to intensify. Source: ION News